FBI releases file on Apple co-founder Steve Jobs - Los Angeles Times

Questionable moral character, use of illegal drugs, the abandonment of a child and a willingness to distort reality: Welcome to the FBI dossier of Steve Jobs.

On Thursday the agency released a file on Jobs that it had compiled in 1991, when the Apple Inc. co-founder was in the running for an appointment under President George H.W. Bush. Included in the 191-page document are confirmations of Jobs' dabblings in marijuana and LSD, his strained relationship with a high school girlfriend with whom he had a child out of wedlock and even some scribbled notes from a time he received a bomb threat in 1985.

Much of the information about Jobs' youth, business dealings and volatile personality have been widely known for years and received fresh attention after a lengthy biography was published after Jobs' death in October. But in interviewing dozens of friends, ex-friends, neighbors, employees and colleagues, the FBI collected a trove of firsthand opinions of Jobs, one of the most secretive figures in American business.

Though many of his acquaintances agreed that Jobs was a brilliant business man and capable candidate for the post, not all of them praised Jobs equally.

One interviewee, apparently a former colleague at Apple, said that Jobs "will twist the truth in order to achieve whatever goal he has set for himself" and that he was a "deceptive person."

The person, whose name was redacted from the report along with everyone else's, went on to say Jobs would make a fine appointee to the President's Export Council, an committee that advises the president on international trade, as "honesty and integrity are not prerequisites to assume such a position." (The same person later admitted to the agent that he did not receive any Apple stock, "which would have made him quite wealthy now.")

One woman said Jobs was a "visionary and charismatic individual who was at the same time shallow and callous to people in his personal relationships" — a trait she ascribed to Jobs' "narcissism and shallowness."

More than one interviewee brought up Jobs' troubled relationship with his high school girlfriend, Chrisann Brennan, who was also the mother of his first daughter, Lisa Brennan-Jobs. Jobs "basically abandoned [Brennan] and her daughter," one person said.

However, nearly everyone interviewed agreed that Jobs' intelligence, boundless energy and familiarity with the technology business would make him an excellent trade advisor.

Two interviewees called Jobs "strong willed, stubborn, hardworking, and driven, which they believe is why he is so successful."

The report contained some details of a bomb threat against Jobs in 1985, in which someone calling from a pay phone at the San Francisco airport claimed he had placed four bombs in the homes of Jobs and others and demanded $1 million. An investigation did not turn up any bombs and no suspect was located.

A few quirky details of Jobs' personal life were also buried in the report. He had a 2.65 grade-point average in high school, for instance. And as an adult he "did a great deal of jogging."

As far as his exercise habits, Jobs himself told agents that he was a member at the New York Athletic Club — the only organization he admitted to being part of.

Jobs was also known for being a good neighbor, who at his unadorned homes in Palo Alto and Woodside, Calif., often left his door unlocked and kept to himself.

He was a "quiet and unassuming individual," said a person who lived next door, who noted that Jobs had even "visited her last week to ensure some landscaping he was having done would not cause any problems."

david.sarno@latimes.com

deborah.netburn@latimes.com

View the original article here

Government contractors targeted Chamber of Commerce's critics - Los Angeles Times

Hoping to win a lucrative agreement with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, three data security contractors for federal defense and intelligence agencies developed a proposal to monitor and manipulate the chamber's left-leaning critics, according to recently released e-mail correspondence.

Employees of the firms compiled short dossiers on a few activists that included photographs, references to their families and charts of their relationships with other liberal and labor leaders.

A review of the correspondence, dating from late October through last week, suggested that the surveillance and intelligence gathering had begun only on a superficial basis in anticipation of a coming meeting with chamber officials.

The proposals were received by Hunton & Williams, a law firm that represents the chamber.

The firm, which also represents Bank of America, solicited a separate proposal from the security firms to help the bank deal with a threat by WikiLeaks, the international hacker organization, to release some of the bank's internal data.

Chamber officials as well as a spokesman for Bank of America said they knew nothing of the surveillance proposals until the e-mails were released Friday by Anonymous, a group that is sympathetic to WikiLeaks.

"No money, for any purpose, was paid to any of those three private security firms by the chamber, or by anyone on behalf of the chamber, including Hunton & Williams," the chamber said in a statement.

Hunton & Williams did not respond to requests for comment.

But in some of the e-mails, employees of the security firms and lawyers at Hunton & Williams refer to contacts they had made with the chamber about the proposed intelligence gathering.

The revelations in the e-mails triggered anxiety among some of those who were targeted.

"We are appalled at the allegations that have come to light in these e-mails," said Inga Skippings, communications director of the Service Employees International Union, some of whose allies were the subject of the intelligence gathering project. "The chamber should immediately come clean about its involvement with Hunton & Williams and the private security firms that allegedly planned these underhanded tactics."

ThinkProgress, an arm of the liberal Center for American Progress and a consistent critic of the chamber, first reported on the e-mails on its blog last week.

In a statement, the chamber accused its critics of "perpetrating a smear campaign by trying to create the illusion of a connection" between it and the security firms.

Officials for two of the security firms, Palantir Technologies and Berico Technologies, confirmed the authenticity of the e-mails sent by their employees but said top executives had no previous knowledge of them.

A spokeswoman for the third company, HBGary Federal, said executives could not address the details of the proposed work for Hunton & Williams, citing a nondisclosure agreement covering all parties.

Copies of the e-mails were provided to the Los Angeles Times by the labor and activist groups.

The correspondence shows that starting last fall, Hutton & Williams lawyers discussed with the security companies a project to be pitched to the chamber.

The three security firms, all of which are government contractors with secret clearances, proposed coming together as "Team Themis," apparently named after a Greek goddess of law and order, to monitor and possibly disrupt chamber opponents.

"Who better to develop a corporate information reconnaissance capability than companies that have been market leaders within the [Defense Department] and Intelligence Community," the companies wrote in a pitch to Hunton & Williams.

View the original article here

Obama to cap off year with family talent show - Los Angeles Times

President Obama will mark the end of an often tumultuous year with a distinctly lighthearted fete: a family talent show.

It's just the latest feature in a holiday vacation that has been a study in consistency. On Thursday, Obama traveled across Oahu for an annual barbecue with family, friends and staff – one year to the day when he did so in 2009. He celebrated Christmas with a surprise visit to dining servicemen at Marine Corps Base Hawaii – which was less of a surprise considering he's done so each of the last two visits as well.

He also made expected stops to the same "shave ice" stand and upscale restaurant locals have come to expect. Every day but one, he's started his morning with a workout on the nearby base. And, of course, there's been golf.

As for the talent show, White House spokesman Bill Burton offered only that it's another annual tradition. And it turns out that Obama, known for his oratorical gifts, is also apparently something of a singer as well. A Time magazine story said the president one year sang "You Are the Sunshine of My Life" when it was his turn to perform. The first lady opted for a hula hoop display.

The trip to Hawaii, which has been extended twice since Obama arrived late on Dec. 22, has definitely been a working vacation as well. But Obama is doing some reading beyond briefing papers and an evaluation of staff prepared for him by top aides. The White House shared Friday some additional selections from his recreational reading list: "The Thousand Autumns of Jacob De Zoet," by David Mitchell, and "Our Kind of Traitor," a Russian spy drama from John le Carre.

From the nonfiction genre, Obama is reading a biography of Ronald Reagan from Lou Cannon called, "The Role of a Lifetime."

Obama is set to depart Honolulu late on Monday.

mmemoli@tribune.com

twitter.com/mikememoli

View the original article here

A Christian priest faces grim New Year in Iraq - Los Angeles Times

Father Nadheer Dako, left, leads mourners as they carry in the coffin of Fawzi Rahim, 76, for funeral Mass at St. George Chaldean Church in Baghdad. (Khalid Mohammed, Associated Press / December 31, 2010)

Father Nadheer Dako started the last day of 2010 with a funeral service for an elderly couple killed by a bomb during a string of attacks against Iraq's small Christian community.

The previous night Fawzi Ibrahim, 80, and his 75-year-old wife Jeanette had opened their door to find a piece of luggage. When they touched the bag a hidden bomb exploded. Their house was one of ten Christian targets hit by militants Thursday night.

Now Dako, who is always ready with a sarcastic barb and a smirk, had to round up enough parishioners to join five relatives for the service at St. George Chaldean Church in Baghdad. It was a cold day with gray skies. Rain pounded the sidewalk and flooded the half-paved streets.

He gathered together 20 people and they entered the yellow brick church with its cross standing out among the neighborhood's Islamic flags.

Dako, 38, is used to living with death. He had become accustomed to danger even before an Oct. 31 siege by Islamic militants at another Baghdad church that left 58 people dead and ushered in a new campaign of attacks against Iraq's Christian minority.

In 2007, he had played a cat-and-mouse game as he hid from would-be kidnappers who surrounded his church; that same year he narrowly escaped a bomb apparently meant for him. He had watched too many Christians leave the city for safety elsewhere. But he was not going to let himself fall into depression.

He would scowl and shout from the pulpit and jab the air with his finger. He would smile and indulge in ghoulish humor. Or he would sing.

And on Friday, he would bury a couple, victims of a senseless act of violence, and later in the day would celebrate life again.

"It was a good Santa Claus this year," he said with a wicked look in his eyes and a sardonic grin after returning home from the funeral.

He quickly veered off into angry screeds against the United States, blaming the 2003 invasion for his country's woes. He grinned as he said the names of U.S. officials as if speaking four-letter words. He hectored: "Where are you Americans. You promised bring us good democracy and good government. Where is [former U.S. administrator J. Paul] Bremer?"

At the service for the Ibrahims, he read to the mostly empty pews a verse from St. Paul. "God gives us a soul of power and charity, not a soul of fear."

He had admired the couple; their children had left years before for the United States and Europe but the Ibrahims refused to leave Iraq. He thought they had been preparing to die. They had readied tombstones months in advance.

As the small group of relatives traveled with the bodies to the cemetery, Dako prepared for his New Year's service that evening. He sat in his rectory, his collar loosened and a scarf tied tight around his neck and thought about what he should say. He made it clear his group was resilient and would never surrender.

"Jesus asks us not to be afraid, to be a disciple and share the light with the people," he said.

A baby's cry came from the next room, where a Christian couple were staying with their infant after fleeing from the northern city of Mosul.

Dako changed into white vestments and stood by the altar before a small crowd at 4:30 p.m. The decorations blinked on a white Christmas tree and candles gleamed by the altar. He raised his hands in the air.

"God is the light and peace," he said. "Protect the dignity of all, Muslims, Christians, Yazidis, Shabak, Sudanis, Pakistanis."

Some leaned their heads against the wooden benches in thought. For a minute, the power went out and his voice bellowed in the dark.

Later in the evening Dako planned to eat and drink wine with friends. He would call his siblings and mother, who are scattered around the world as a result of the turmoil.

He promised: "Life will continue, and never, never will it stop, even if I die, it will continue. It is God's will."

ned.parker@latimes.com

Salman is a Times staff writer.

View the original article here

Wal-Mart, global warming cases will get hearings before Supreme Court - Los Angeles Times

Supreme Court: High court agrees to hear Wal-Mart, global warming cases - latimes.com div.thumbnail span.credit { font-weight: normal !important;}div.article div.articlerail ul li.relatedTitle, div.storygallery div.storyGalleryRail ul li.relatedTitle { font-size: 12px !important;} Mobile Site Subscribe/Manage Account Print Ads Place an Ad LAT Store Jobs Cars Real Estate Rentals More Classifieds   NATION HOME Breaking Crime L.A. Apps Weather Traffic Obits Community Crosswords Holiday Guide Wine Club Local L.A. Now Politics Crime Education O.C. Westside Neighborhoods Environment Obituaries FindLocal U.S. Politics Now Top of the Ticket Science & Environment Obituaries Religion World Afghanistan & Pakistan Africa Asia Europe Iran Iraq Latin America Mexico Under Siege Middle East Business Money & Co. Technology Personal Finance Small Business Company Town Jobs Real Estate Cars Sports Lakers Clippers Dodgers Angels NFL Ducks/Kings USC UCLA Soccer High Schools Scores/Stats Entertainment Movies TV Music Celebrity Arts & Culture Company Town Calendar Envelope Books FindLocal Health Booster Shots Fitness & Nutrition Medicine Mental Health Healthcare Reform Breast Cancer Diabetes Living Home Food Image Books Parenting FindLocal Brand X Magazine Your Scene Cars Travel California Hawaii Mexico Las Vegas Europe Asia Australia Travel & Deal Blog Destinations Opinion Editorials Op-Ed Letters Opinion L.A. More Corrections Readers' Rep Photos Video Blogs Data Desk Comics Puzzles & Games Community Mobile Site Subscribe/Manage Account Print Ads Place an Ad LAT Store Jobs Cars Real Estate Rentals More Classifieds Weekly Ad In the News: dwp Gay marriage Kennedy Center Honors College bowls Box office Wal-Mart, global warming cases will get hearings before Supreme Court The Supreme Court agrees to take up two cases of interest to corporate America: whether a sex-discrimination lawsuit against Wal-Mart can proceed as a class action, and whether courts can put limits on carbon emissions from power plants. Share Related Interactive: Major Supreme Court cases High court ruling on Arizona act could shape immigration law Supreme Court questions broad use of exception in sunshine law to withhold documents Stories Wal-Mart will buy controlling stake in South African company to get foothold in the country High court handling of Wal-Mart appeal will have wider implications By David G. Savage, Reporting from Washington December 6, 2010|8:41 a.m.

E-mail Print Text Size sc-dc-1207-supreme-court-20101206 The Supreme Court on Monday agreed to hear two major appeals from corporate America seeking to block mass lawsuits, one involving a huge sex-discrimination suit against Wal-Mart and the other a massive global warming suit brought against several of the nation's top power producers.

In both instances, the justices said they will consider blocking the mass lawsuit from proceeding toward a trial.

In the Wal-Mart case, the justices will decide whether the retail giant can be sued for sex bias in the largest workplace class action in the nation's history. A federal judge and the U.S. court of appeals in San Francisco cleared the lawsuit to proceed as a class action on behalf of 1.5 million women who were employed at Wal-Mart in the past decade.

The lawsuit contends women were regularly paid less than men and denied promotions. In its appeal, the company argues that the lawsuit should not proceed as a class action because hiring and promotion decisions are made in its 3,400 stores.

The issue of when a suit can proceed as a class action is of great interest to corporate lawyers and the trial bar. If a single suit can speak for thousands of employees, companies feel pressure to offer a settlement rather than risk a potentially crippling jury verdict.

The global warming case will decide whether judges and courts can put limits on carbon emissions on the theory that this pollution is a public nuisance. Eight states, including New York, California and Connecticut, joined with environmentalists and launched a lawsuit against the power producers in the Midwest, arguing that their coal-fired plants were contributing to climate change.

Environmentalists said they took the issue to court because Congress was not likely to take up the climate change issue and set limits on greenhouse gasses. They won a significant preliminary victory when the U.S. appeals court in New York cleared the suit to proceed.

But the power industry, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the Obama administration joined in urging the high court to stop the lawsuit. They argue that the global warming issue and limits on carbon emissions should be decided by Congress and the White House, not by judges acting on lawsuits.

The two cases, Wal-Mart vs. Dukes and American Electric Power vs. Connecticut, will be heard in the early spring and decided by July.

david.savage@latimes.com Copyright © 2010, Tribune Interactive

E-mail Print Digg Twitter Facebook Read This Later   Comments (9)Add / View comments | Discussion FAQ jdw2010 at 10:01 AM December 06, 2010

I wonder if these are the same environmentalists that protested nuclear power to death, such a two faced argument. When will the hippies realize you need to supply base power SOMEHOW? Wind, Solar, Hydro, etc. are not applicable for base power needs. That leaves Coal, Natural Gas, and Nuclear as primary power generation with Coal being the cheapest and Nuclear being the cleanest (in terms of greenhouse emissions). Wake up people, you can only squeeze so much blood from a stone.

jav1231 at 9:56 AM December 06, 2010

In regards to "climate change," it's the job of the courts to interpret law through the prism of precedent and the Constitution. NOT to create law. This should be a slam dunk. Hopefully.

carlsherylmorris at 9:46 AM December 06, 2010

Come on, Libs...  What you want to accomplish is not Constitutionally allowed...  Things you're trying to make lawful.. or unlawful,  needs to come from Congress...  I think the whole country is sick and tired of the courts trying to run the country..  IT IS NOT within their scope of authority...  How did you Libs ever get to thinking the way that you do???

Comments are filtered for language and registration is required. The Times makes no guarantee of comments' factual accuracy. Readers may report inappropriate comments by clicking the Report Abuse link. Here are the full legal terms you agree to by using this comment form. .political-promo .title {display: none; visibility: hidden; height: 0px;}.political-promo .feedMasherList li {width: 292px;}.political-promo .rssMoreLink { margin-top: -4px; }.political-promo #topLeftNarrow div.tabContentDisplay, #topLeftNarrow div.tabContentContainer, #middleLeftNarrow div.tabContentDisplay, #middleLeftNarrow div.tabContentContainer, #bottomLeftNarrow div.tabContentDisplay, #bottomLeftNarrow div.tabContentContainer, #topRightNarrow div.tabContentDisplay, #topRightNarrow div.tabContentContainer, #middleRightNarrow div.tabContentDisplay, #middleRightNarrow div.tabContentContainer, #bottomRightNarrow div.tabContentDisplay, #bottomRightNarrow div.tabContentContainer, #topLeftNarrow div.tabContentHolder div.newContent, #middleLeftNarrow div.tabContentHolder div.newContent, #bottomLeftNarrow div.tabContentHolder div.newContent, #topRightNarrow div.tabContentHolder div.newContent, #middleRightNarrow div.tabContentHolder div.newContent, #bottomRightNarrow div.tabContentHolder div.newContent, #rail div.tabContentDisplay, #rail div.tabContentContainer, #rail div.tabContentHolder div.newContent {padding: 10px 4px 8px 8px; width: 300px; margin-left: 2px;}.political-promo .tabs {border-top:1px solid #ddd!important;}.political-promo { border-left: 1px solid #ddd; border-right: 1px solid #ddd; border-bottom: 1px solid #ddd; }.rightrailbox { border: 2px solid rgb(188, 185, 185); padding: 4px; margin-bottom: 20px; margin-top: 12px; width: 310px; }.rightrailbox h4.headline { font-size: 22px; text-transform: none; margin: 4px 0 4px 4px; font-weight: none !important;}.rightrailbox p { font-size:14px; margin: 6px 4px 4px 3px;}#rail #stockquotes div.module{ border: 2px solid #BCB9B9; padding: 6px; }#stockquotes #markets #datetime { width: 307px; font-style: italic; font-size: 11px; padding-bottom: 4px; }#stockquotes #markets #indu { width: 305px; }#stockquotes #markets #indu .company+.last { font-size: 13px; font-weight: bold; }#stockquotes #markets #indu .posChange { font-size: 13px; font-weight: bold; }#stockquotes #markets #indu .negChange { font-size: 13px; font-weight: bold; }#stockquotes #markets #comp { width: 305px; }#stockquotes #markets #comp .company+.last { font-size: 13px; font-weight: bold; }#stockquotes #markets #comp .posChange { font-size: 13px; font-weight: bold; }#stockquotes #markets #comp .negChange { font-size: 13px; font-weight: bold; }#stockquotes #markets #spx { width: 305px; }#stockquotes #markets #spx .company+.last { font-size: 13px; font-weight: bold; }#stockquotes #markets #spx .posChange { font-size: 13px; font-weight: bold; }#stockquotes #markets #spx .negChange { font-size: 13px; font-weight: bold; }#stockquotes #quote form { width: 304px; padding-left: 15px; }#rail #stockquotes #quote, .narrow #stockquotes #quote { width: 304px; background-color: #ffffff; border: 0px; }#rail #stockquotes .company, .narrow #stockquotes .company { font-size: 13px; }#rail #stockquotes #quote-label, .narrow #stockquotes #quote-label { font-size: 12px; }#stockquotes { border: 2px solid #ddd; padding-left: 6px; padding-right: 6px; text-align: center; padding-top: 10px; }.feed-module-special { margin-top: 10px; padding: 8px; width: 180px !important; }#feed-top { background-color: #ffffff; position: relative; bottom: 14px; right: 14px; z-index:100; padding-bottom: 8px; }#feed-hed { font-size: 20px; }#feed-sub { font-size: 12px; font-style: italic; position: relative; left: 10px; text-transform: none; }#main_background { height: 573px; border: 1px solid #000000; width: 335px; font-size: 11px; font-weight: bold; margin-bottom: 30px; }#cube_background { } #main_background img { width: 27px; height: 27px; border: 0px; padding: 2px; }input#search_where { color:#666; margin-right:3px; padding:4px 4px 3px 4px; width:208px; font-size:10px; margin-bottom: 6px; }input#search_what { color:#666; margin-right:3px; padding:4px 4px 3px 4px; width:208px; font-size:10px; }#dates div { font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; border: 1px solid #000; float: left; width: 20px; padding: 5px; margin-right: 11px; text-align: center; height: 20px; }#dates div a:hover { padding: 5px; color: #fff; background-color: #000; font-size: 16px; border: 1px solid #000; float: left; width: 20px; margin-right: 11px; text-align: center; height: 20px; position: relative; bottom: 6px; right: 6px; text-decoration: none; }.goButton { text-transform:uppercase; font-size:10px; padding:3px 2px 2px 2px; }.font11 { font-size:11px; } .font12 { font-size:12px; } .font13 { font-size:13px; } .font15 { font-size:15px; } .font14 { font-size:14px; }.font16 { font-size:16px; }.font17 { font-size:17px; }.font18 { font-size:18px; }.font20 { font-size:20px; }.font22 { font-size:22px; }.font21 { font-size:21px; }.what_where { text-transform:uppercase; font-size:11px; }.example { font-size:11px; }.classifiedAdRail.defaultHeadlines .headlineItem, #headlineContainer, .classifiedAdRail #headlineContainer .mainHeadline, .classifiedAdRail.mainSlideDetailsContents, .classifiedAdRail#leadcontent-bigstory {padding-right: 10px;}.classifiedAdLabel {color:#000000;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:10px;font-size-adjust:none;font-stretch:normal;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;font-weight:normal;letter-spacing:1px;line-height:10px;text-transform:lowercase;position: relative; left: 38%; top: -16px;}.classifiedAdRail .aboveHeadlinePos { margin-left: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; }.classifiedAdRail img.headlineThumb { padding-bottom: 6px; padding-left: 6px; }.classifiedAdRail .titleContainer .title { border-bottom:0px solid #DDDDDD; padding-top: 0px !important; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 6px;border-top:0px solid #000000; background-color: #efefef; margin: 1px;}.classifiedAdRail .titleContainer .title .header {position: relative; top:-6px;}.classifiedAdRail .sectionlink-head { margin-top: 6px; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-left: 11px;}.classifiedAdRail {border: 1px solid #ddd; }.classifiedAdRail .headlineTable {margin-right: 6px; padding-left: 6px; padding-right: 6px;} .political-promo .title {display: none; visibility: hidden; height: 0px;}.political-promo .feedMasherList li {width: 292px;}.political-promo .rssMoreLink { margin-top: -4px; }.political-promo #topLeftNarrow div.tabContentDisplay, #topLeftNarrow div.tabContentContainer, #middleLeftNarrow div.tabContentDisplay, #middleLeftNarrow div.tabContentContainer, #bottomLeftNarrow div.tabContentDisplay, #bottomLeftNarrow div.tabContentContainer, #topRightNarrow div.tabContentDisplay, #topRightNarrow div.tabContentContainer, #middleRightNarrow div.tabContentDisplay, #middleRightNarrow div.tabContentContainer, #bottomRightNarrow div.tabContentDisplay, #bottomRightNarrow div.tabContentContainer, #topLeftNarrow div.tabContentHolder div.newContent, #middleLeftNarrow div.tabContentHolder div.newContent, #bottomLeftNarrow div.tabContentHolder div.newContent, #topRightNarrow div.tabContentHolder div.newContent, #middleRightNarrow div.tabContentHolder div.newContent, #bottomRightNarrow div.tabContentHolder div.newContent, #rail div.tabContentDisplay, #rail div.tabContentContainer, #rail div.tabContentHolder div.newContent {padding: 10px 4px 8px 8px; width: 300px; margin-left: 2px;}.political-promo .tabs {border-top:1px solid #ddd!important;}.political-promo { border-left: 1px solid #ddd; border-right: 1px solid #ddd; border-bottom: 1px solid #ddd; }.rightrailbox { border: 2px solid rgb(188, 185, 185); padding: 4px; margin-bottom: 20px; margin-top: 12px; width: 310px; }.rightrailbox h4.headline { font-size: 22px; text-transform: none; margin: 4px 0 4px 4px; font-weight: none !important;}.rightrailbox p { font-size:14px; margin: 6px 4px 4px 3px;}#rail #stockquotes div.module{ border: 2px solid #BCB9B9; padding: 6px; }#stockquotes #markets #datetime { width: 307px; font-style: italic; font-size: 11px; padding-bottom: 4px; }#stockquotes #markets #indu { width: 305px; }#stockquotes #markets #indu .company+.last { font-size: 13px; font-weight: bold; }#stockquotes #markets #indu .posChange { font-size: 13px; font-weight: bold; }#stockquotes #markets #indu .negChange { font-size: 13px; font-weight: bold; }#stockquotes #markets #comp { width: 305px; }#stockquotes #markets #comp .company+.last { font-size: 13px; font-weight: bold; }#stockquotes #markets #comp .posChange { font-size: 13px; font-weight: bold; }#stockquotes #markets #comp .negChange { font-size: 13px; font-weight: bold; }#stockquotes #markets #spx { width: 305px; }#stockquotes #markets #spx .company+.last { font-size: 13px; font-weight: bold; }#stockquotes #markets #spx .posChange { font-size: 13px; font-weight: bold; }#stockquotes #markets #spx .negChange { font-size: 13px; font-weight: bold; }#stockquotes #quote form { width: 304px; padding-left: 15px; }#rail #stockquotes #quote, .narrow #stockquotes #quote { width: 304px; background-color: #ffffff; border: 0px; }#rail #stockquotes .company, .narrow #stockquotes .company { font-size: 13px; }#rail #stockquotes #quote-label, .narrow #stockquotes #quote-label { font-size: 12px; }#stockquotes { border: 2px solid #ddd; padding-left: 6px; padding-right: 6px; text-align: center; padding-top: 10px; }.feed-module-special { margin-top: 10px; padding: 8px; width: 180px !important; }#feed-top { background-color: #ffffff; position: relative; bottom: 14px; right: 14px; z-index:100; padding-bottom: 8px; }#feed-hed { font-size: 20px; }#feed-sub { font-size: 12px; font-style: italic; position: relative; left: 10px; text-transform: none; }#main_background { height: 573px; border: 1px solid #000000; width: 335px; font-size: 11px; font-weight: bold; margin-bottom: 30px; }#cube_background { } #main_background img { width: 27px; height: 27px; border: 0px; padding: 2px; }input#search_where { color:#666; margin-right:3px; padding:4px 4px 3px 4px; width:208px; font-size:10px; margin-bottom: 6px; }input#search_what { color:#666; margin-right:3px; padding:4px 4px 3px 4px; width:208px; font-size:10px; }#dates div { font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; border: 1px solid #000; float: left; width: 20px; padding: 5px; margin-right: 11px; text-align: center; height: 20px; }#dates div a:hover { padding: 5px; color: #fff; background-color: #000; font-size: 16px; border: 1px solid #000; float: left; width: 20px; margin-right: 11px; text-align: center; height: 20px; position: relative; bottom: 6px; right: 6px; text-decoration: none; }.goButton { text-transform:uppercase; font-size:10px; padding:3px 2px 2px 2px; }.font11 { font-size:11px; } .font12 { font-size:12px; } .font13 { font-size:13px; } .font15 { font-size:15px; } .font14 { font-size:14px; }.font16 { font-size:16px; }.font17 { font-size:17px; }.font18 { font-size:18px; }.font20 { font-size:20px; }.font22 { font-size:22px; }.font21 { font-size:21px; }.what_where { text-transform:uppercase; font-size:11px; }.example { font-size:11px; }.classifiedAdRail.defaultHeadlines .headlineItem, #headlineContainer, .classifiedAdRail #headlineContainer .mainHeadline, .classifiedAdRail.mainSlideDetailsContents, .classifiedAdRail#leadcontent-bigstory {padding-right: 10px;}.classifiedAdLabel {color:#000000;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:10px;font-size-adjust:none;font-stretch:normal;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;font-weight:normal;letter-spacing:1px;line-height:10px;text-transform:lowercase;position: relative; left: 38%; top: -16px;}.classifiedAdRail .aboveHeadlinePos { margin-left: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; }.classifiedAdRail img.headlineThumb { padding-bottom: 6px; padding-left: 6px; }.classifiedAdRail .titleContainer .title { border-bottom:0px solid #DDDDDD; padding-top: 0px !important; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 6px;border-top:0px solid #000000; background-color: #efefef; margin: 1px;}.classifiedAdRail .titleContainer .title .header {position: relative; top:-6px;}.classifiedAdRail .sectionlink-head { margin-top: 6px; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-left: 11px;}.classifiedAdRail {border: 1px solid #ddd; }.classifiedAdRail .headlineTable {margin-right: 6px; padding-left: 6px; padding-right: 6px;} California's War Dead »Military deaths in Iraq and Afghanistan. Advertisement .latest-article { width: 334px; border-right: 1px solid #979797; border-left: 1px solid #979797; margin-bottom: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding: 3px; margin-top: -2px; }//ul.feedMasherList li { }//.mviewed li { font-color: red; }.feedMasherList li { font-size: 15px; }//.feedMasherList li { font-size: 16px; width: 296px; position: relative; top: 0px; #left: 4px; left: 7px; margin-top: 4px; }//.feedMasherList li a { font-size: 13px; }//.mviewed .publishDate { visibility: hidden; }//.memailed .publishDate { visibility: hidden; }#most-viewed-title {font-size: 13px; font-family:"Times New Roman",Georgia,Serif ;padding-right: 8px; padding-left: 2px; border-right: 1px solid #000000;}#most-emailed-title {font-size: 13px; font-family:"Times New Roman",Georgia,Serif; padding-left: 10px;padding-right: 8px; }ul.feedMasherList span { display: inline; }.memailed, .mviewed { margin-left: -1px; margin-top: -14px; }.mviewed .feedMasherList li a { font-size: 15px; }.memailed .feedMasherList li a { font-size: 15px; }.feedSourcetitle { color: #9F9F9F; font-size: 11px; font-style: italic; }.featurePromo noHeadlineBGImage mviewed for1 .feedMasherList li a { font-size: 13px; }ul.tabModule li { padding-right: 0px; padding-left: 0px; text-align: center; }ul.tabModule li:hover { text-decoration: none; padding-right: 0px; padding-left: 0px; text-align: center; }.latest-article ul.feedMasherList li a { font-size: 14px; font-weight: normal; }.latest-article ul.feedMasherList span { font-size: 12px; display: inline; color: #9f9f9f; font-weight: normal; }.latest-article .rssHeader { display: none; }.latest-article ul { margin-left: 6px; }.latest-body { border-left: 1px solid #979595; border-right: 1px solid #979595; }.latest-header { background-image:url("http://www.latimes.com/media/alternatethumbnails/blurb/2009-10/49851075-14114117.jpg"); background-repeat: no-repeat; color: #ffffff; font-weight: bold; font-size: 20px; padding: 6px; width: 336px; } .latest-footer { background-image:url("http://www.latimes.com/media/thumbnails/blurb/2009-10/49851075-14114117.jpg"); background-repeat:no-repeat;color: #ffffff; font-weight: bold; padding: 1px 4px 4px 0px; text-align: right; margin-top: -30px; } #latest-big { font-size: 18px; text-transform: uppercase; width: 336px; }#latest-small { font-size: 12px; text-transform: uppercase; padding-bottom: 2px; font-weight: normal; }The Latest | news as it happens Stocks fall on economy concerns - L.A. Times - Business 12/06/2010, 10:05 a.m. Google's Nexus S smart phone with Android 2.3 Gingerbread to hit Best Buy stores Dec. 16 - L.A. Times Tech Blog 12/06/2010, 9:54 a.m. Nate Berkus 'recovering nicely'; show production to resume this week - Ministry of Gossip 12/06/2010, 9:44 a.m. Babysitter arrested in 2006 murder of 2-year-old - L.A. Now 12/06/2010, 9:40 a.m. Issue of anti-gay bullying comes to the Smithsonian - Culture Monster 12/06/2010, 9:30 a.m.   Save. Share. Connect.RSS »Twitter »Facebook »Mobile »Alerts » Most Viewed Most Commented Baseball winter meetings: Orioles acquire Mark Reynolds; Padres say they won't trade Heath Bell Wal-Mart, global warming cases will get hearings before Supreme Court Suicide bombers kill 41 in Pakistan Talks begin on Iran's nuclear program Legislative Democrats don't want another fight with Schwarzenegger Calcium supplements and the heart Kennedy Center Honors: the power of art and artists Steelers play takeaway in 13-10 victory over the Ravens DWP quietly scales back Villaraigosa's ambitious renewable energy goal Company Town: 'Tangled' the smoothest box-office performer Senate Republicans hold firm against Democrats' tax cut plan in vote (344 comments) When layoffs come to L.A. schools, performance doesn't count (234 comments) California Republicans are split on possible anti-illegal immigration measure (194 comments) Gay marriage: all eyes on 9th Circuit panel (181 comments) Marriage and the court of public opinion (123 comments) Students want the Dream Act to become reality (118 comments) Democratic lawmakers will revisit bills vetoed by Schwarzenegger (112 comments) Lawmakers upbeat on extension of tax cuts, unemployment benefits (103 comments) Brawl in Rose Bowl parking lot sends two to hospital, three to jail (93 comments) Majority of Muslims want Islam in politics, poll says (86 comments) Get the Top of the Times NewsletterThe best in investigative and insightful reporting.
See a sample | Sign up
div#alertSignUp {border:1px solid #bcb9b9; padding:15px 18px; font-size:12px; margin-bottom:20px;} div#alertSignUp h3 {font-size:20px; margin-bottom:9px;}div#alertSignUp p {margin-bottom:0px; font-size:12px; margin-top:3px;} div#alertSignUp p.alertListHead {margin-bottom:2px;} ul#campaignSignUp {list-style-type:none; list-style-position:outside; margin-left:0px; margin-bottom:0px;}ul#campaignSignUp li {margin-top:4px; margin-right:5px;} ul#campaignSignUp li label {padding-left:5px; font-size:12px;} div#alertSignUp p.mobilePhone {margin-bottom:10px;}#alertSignUpSubmit {margin-top:10px; margin-left:240px;}Get Alerts on Your Mobile PhoneMobile Phone (required)

Sign me up for the following lists:

BREAKING - News as it happensENVELOPE - The awards insiderENTERTAINMENT - Hollywood news and buzzSPORTS - Alerts and scores .articlelevelpromo { border: 1px solid #BCB9B9; padding: 10px !important; } .articlelevelpromo h2.title { border-top: 0px !important; } Inside The Times 99 gift ideas for home and garden Book review: 'Decoded' by Jay-Z Shopping: Fashion goes noir L.A. at Home Virtual Holiday Craft Fair Enjoy more stories like this for only $1 a week. Click here to order The Times. USC takes this one down Victory Lane against UCLA Newfound bacterium casts life in a new light Umami: The burger of the year? Historic home tours, the holiday way Book review: 'America by Heart' by Sarah Palin More spotlights... Horoscopes LATMG Media Kit Events About Us Site Map Contact Us | Help Coastline Pilot Daily Pilot Huntington Beach Independent Valley Sun Burbank Leader News Press KTLA Hoy Brand X LA, Los Angeles Times Magazine ZAP2it Baltimore Sun Chicago Tribune Daily Press Hartford Courant Los Angeles Times Orlando Sentinel Sun Sentinel The Morning Call

Terms of Service | Privacy Policy | Los Angeles Times, 202 West 1st Street, Los Angeles, California, 90012 | Copyright 2010

A Tribune Newspaper website DM_addEncToLoc("Site", (s.server));DM_addEncToLoc("channel", (s.channel));DM_addEncToLoc("keyword", (s.prop3));DM_cat(s.hier1);DM_tag();

View the original article here

Sunni lawmakers return to Iraq parliament, apologize for walkout - Los Angeles Times

Iraqi lawmakers buried the hatchet Saturday, with public displays of goodwill and apologies over "misunderstandings," as parliament approved a broad agreement that will usher in a new government after a debilitating eight-month deadlock.

Two days after they walked out of a raucous session that showed the deep rifts in the halls of power, members of the Sunni Arab-backed Iraqiya bloc returned to parliament for a final vote on the accord that saw Shiite Prime Minister Nouri Maliki maintain his hold on power.

Iraqiya members apologized for walking out Thursday after the Shiite and Kurdish blocs in the parliament refused to go along with a request for an immediate lifting of a political ban on four Iraqiya members because of their alleged ties to Saddam Hussein's Baath Party.

Lawmakers agreed Saturday to start the process of lifting the bans. The 325-member body also voted in favor of the agreement, hammered out last week, that proved to be the breakthrough in ending the stalemate over inconclusive national elections.

The agreement's contours, mapped out in nine documents, include promoting reconciliation, power-sharing; devolving the powers of the prime minister's office, empowering the Cabinet and a timeline for ending the process of purging suspected Baath members from government.

But Saturday's session could be a fleeting "kumbaya" moment. The weeks ahead are sure to be stormy as the sides brawl over the meaning of the often vague language of the agreement.

In fact, even as the sides celebrated the end of the political crisis, the head of Iraqiya, Iyad Allawi, muddied the waters.

Allawi, whose bloc won 91 seats in the March 7 elections, the single largest slate in the parliament, threatened to serve in the opposition and not join the government as the head of a new body, the National Council for Strategic Policies. U.S. officials had pushed the idea as the way for Allawi to have a major political role.

And in an interview with CNN broadcast Friday, Allawi belittled the new unity government. "We think the concept of power-sharing is dead now," the secular Shiite Muslim politician said. "It's finished."

Around Baghdad, Iraqis were relieved that the parliament had overcome its tiff. Some professed optimism.

"I think Maliki will be successful," said Felah Abood Qasim, who cast his ballot for Allawi. "Maliki has a sort of bravery. He can take decisions. He knew how to play it during these eight months. He made all his rivals have less success than him, if not failure!"

Others were disillusioned, lamenting the wasted time of the last year and the return to power of Maliki and President Jalal Talabani, a Kurd.

"Nothing was changed: The president is the same, the prime minister is the same," said Aboud Ahmed, a 41-year-old computer technician in the Shiite holy city of Najaf. "All these faces are the same and we are always the victims."

ned.parker@latimes.com

Salman is a Times staff writer.

Times staff writer Jaber Zeki in Baghdad and special correspondent Saad Fakhrildeen in Najaf contributed to this report.

View the original article here

Book review: 'Decision Points' by George W. Bush - Los Angeles Times

Former U.S. President George W. Bush waves while signing copies of his new memoir "Decision Points" at Borders Books on November 9, 2010 in Dallas, Texas. (Tom Pennington / Getty Images / November 9, 2010)

The first great American autobiographies both appeared in the 19th century, were born of conflict and written by public men — "The Life and Times of Frederick Douglass" and "The Personal Memoirs of Ulysses S. Grant."

Since then, what we might call the publishing-industrial complex has turned the reminiscences of our public men and women into a never-ending stream. As former President George W. Bush — barely two years out of office — points out in the acknowledgement of his memoir, "Decision Points," virtually every member of his extended, very political family has published a bestseller, including his parents' dogs.

Where does Bush's account of his astonishingly eventful eight years rank in such company? Probably far higher than many of his detractors expected. As Bush writes in "Decision Points," he enjoys surprising those who underestimate him. As the title suggests, the former chief executive elected to abandon the usual chronological approach to these volumes (except for a brief, obligatory foray into childhood and school years) in favor of his recollection of his presidency's key choices and the personal decisions that Bush says prepared him to make them.

Foremost among the latter were his conversion to active Christianity, which he attributes to an after-dinner talk that evangelist Billy Graham gave to the extended Bush family at their Maine compound, and to participation in his male friends' Crawford, Texas Bible study group. According to Bush, he continued to read the Bible every morning of his presidency — like his daily run, a comforting habit. Bush credits his religious awakening, along with a growing sense of obligation to his wife and daughters, with his other foundational personal choice: the decision to quit drinking after a night of boorish overindulgence in celebration of his Laura's 40th birthday. It's a change Bush credits with making possible his subsequent public life.

Leaks and an active publicity campaign of television and radio appearances have made many of the substantial points Bush makes rather familiar. Essentially, "Decision Points" confirms many of the better nonfiction accounts of his presidency published while he was in office, particularly Bob Woodward's four volumes and Robert Draper's "Dead Certain." The Bush White House may not have been given to doubts or its chief executive to indecision, but it did have a penchant for ad hoc deliberation, stubborn persistence in the face of failure — as in Iraq up to the surge — excessive personal loyalty and for being "blind-sided" by events beyond the unforeseeable tragedy of 9/11.

Nearly midway through "Decision Points," Bush writes that, "History can debate the decisions I made, the policies I chose, and the tools I left behind. But there can be no debate about one fact: After the nightmare of September 11, America went seven and a half years without another successful terrorist attack on our soil. If I had to summarize my most meaningful accomplishment as president in one sentence, that would be it."

For that reason, Bush is singularly unapologetic and clear about the fact that he personally ordered the torture of key Al Qaeda members, who CIA interrogators were convinced held information of other planned terrorist attacks. (Bush also continues to insist that waterboarding is not torture.) When then-CIA Director George Tenet asked whether he had permission to waterboard Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the 9/11 mastermind, Bush replied, "Damn right." Bush writes that about 100 "terrorists" were placed in the CIA interrogation program and that about a third "were questioned using enhanced interrogation"; three were waterboarded. All, according to Bush, gave up usable intelligence that thwarted other acts of terrorism. Other reports have contradicted that assertion, but Bush is firm on the point.

Similarly, he writes that his stomach still churns over the fact that he and the rest of the country were misled by faulty intelligence concerning Saddam Hussein's pursuit of weapons of mass destruction, but that the nation and world still are better off with the Iraqi dictator deposed. His only real regret, in fact, is that he failed to act more rapidly and decisively when Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans.

Many readers will be surprised by Bush's warm account of his cooperative relationship with the late Sen. Edward Kennedy and his disappointment that they were unable to push through comprehensive immigration reform, which both felt was within a vote or two of their grasp. Given the contentious political use Karl Rove and other Bush aides made of abortion, readers also may be interested in the former president's unfailingly respectful discussion of the abortion-rights advocates with whom he disagrees. (There's also something amusing about Bush's account of urging the late Pope John Paul II not to waver in his pro-life convictions.)

Actually, one of the impressions that arises repeatedly in "Decision Points" is how much civility and bi-partisan cooperation matter to Bush. "The death spiral of decency during my time in office, exacerbated by the advent of 24-hour cable news and hyper-partisan political blogs, was deeply disappointing," he writes.

Looking back on his exit from office, Bush recalls, "I reflected on everything we were facing. Over the past few weeks we had seen the failure of America's two largest mortgage entities, the bankruptcy of a major investment bank, the sale of another, the nationalization of the world's largest insurance company, and now the most drastic intervention in the free market since the presidency of Franklin Roosevelt. At the same time, Russia had invaded and occupied Georgia, Hurricane Ike had hit Texas, and America was fighting a two-front war in Iraq and Afghanistan. This was one ugly way to end the presidency."

There's a great deal in that statement of what this unexpectedly engrossing memoir suggests is the essential George W. Bush — a disarming candor, for example, combined with almost alarming off-handedness about the implications of what's being said. The man and the president portrayed in these pages is, at the same time, passive and strong; intelligent but not curious; a public person apparently at his best in private; willing to admit shortcomings, but not particularly self-critical; unfailingly civil himself, but happily surrounded by bare-knuckle partisans. There is a kind of pragmatic courage that makes a leader fearless of contradictions. Bush, for his part, seems oblivious to them.

Immediately after the admission that his presidency was coming to an "ugly" end, Bush adds, "I didn't feel sorry for myself. Self-pity is a pathetic quality in a leader…. As well, I was comforted by my conviction that the Good Lord wouldn't give a believer a burden he couldn't handle."

One suspects that Bush hopes to have the way in which he bore his unexpected burdens compared to the service of another wartime president, Lincoln. "Decision Points" records that, during his eight years in the Oval Office, Bush read 14 books on the first Republican commander-in-chief.

Somehow, though, it isn't the Great Emancipator who comes to mind at the end of this memoir, but Shakespeare's Macbeth:

"To know my deed, 'twere best not know myself."

timothy.rutten@latimes.com

View the original article here

Netanyahu defiantly answers Obama's warning over construction in East Jerusalem - Los Angeles Times

Reporting from Jakarta, Indonesia, and Washington — Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu clashed publicly with President Obama on Tuesday over Israeli construction in disputed East Jerusalem, throwing a teetering Mideast peace effort deeper in doubt.

Responding to criticism from Obama, Netanyahu struck a defiant tone in commenting on plans to build 1,300 more Jewish housing units in East Jerusalem, saying his government had never agreed to limit construction in the city.

"Jerusalem is not a settlement. It is the capital of the state of Israel," Netanyahu said in a statement. "Israel sees no connection between the diplomatic process and the planning and building policy in Jerusalem."

Netanyahu's statement came hours after Obama warned that the new construction, announced by Israel on Monday, could harm a renewed Mideast peace effort began in early September. Obama made the remarks a few hours after arriving in Indonesia, his boyhood home for four years, where he was set to deliver the second major speech Wednesday in his outreach to the Muslim world.

"This kind of activity is never helpful when it comes to peace negotiations, and I'm concerned that we're not seeing each side make that extra effort involved to get a breakthrough," Obama said. "Each of these incremental steps end up breaking trust."

Israel also is moving ahead with 800 units in the West Bank settlement of Ariel, Israeli news reports said Tuesday.

Saeb Erekat, the chief Palestinian negotiator, said Israel's latest expansions are part of "a premeditated process to kill the possibility of an independent Palestinian state." He said that if the Obama administration is unable to get peace talks back on track in the coming weeks, it should recognize an independent Palestinian state with pre-1967 borders.

Israel claims all of Jerusalem, but the Palestinians claim East Jerusalem, which was captured in the 1967 Middle East War, as the capital of their future state. The international community does not recognize Israel's annexation of the city's eastern sector, and a succession of American administrations have urged Israel not to build there.

Netanyahu's pronouncement was consistent with Israeli policy, yet his sharp tone may embarrass Obama at a moment of vulnerability. Obama is visiting the world's largest Muslim country, and the rebuke may again raise questions in the Muslim world about how much influence the American leader really has on a priority issue.

The disagreement also comes a week after Obama suffered a setback in the midterm elections, which gave Republicans, who are likely to be sympathetic to Netanyahu's point of view, majority control of the House of Representatives. Some Israeli officials and U.S. analysts had predicted before the election that Netanyahu might feel emboldened to push back on Obama if the Democrats fared poorly.

Obama launched a new peace effort Sept. 1, but it has been nearly stalled as the Palestinians refuse to negotiate unless Israel halts construction in the disputed areas. Palestinian leaders contend that the Jewish settlers are taking land whose ownership should be decided in negotiations.

Robert Danin, a former U.S. official and specialist on Arab-Israeli issues, said it may have been politically risky for Netanyahu to oppose the new construction project, since Israelis view such building as fully within their rights.

With Netanyahu planning to meet Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton in Washington on Thursday, the strong words will not help the U.S. efforts to bring the two sides back to the peace table, said Danin, who is with the Council on Foreign Relations.

"For there to be a deal, the temperature has to come down," he said.

Israel's go-ahead to build 1,300 homes in East Jerusalem met with a storm of disapproval from around the world, including all four members of the diplomatic "quartet" that seeks to promote the Mideast peace talks: the United Nations, the European Union, Russia and the United States.

The Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement that Russia views the announcement "with most serious concern.… We find it essential that the Israeli party refrain from the declared construction."

Obama's relationship with Netanyahu has gone through alternating periods of warm and cool. Obama was furious with Netanyahu in March, when new construction was announced in East Jerusalem just as Vice President Joe Biden was visiting. In July, Obama warmly welcomed Netanyahu to the White House.

Yet Obama has maintained pressure on the Israeli prime minister like few recent presidents. In September, he called on Netanyahu from the podium of the United Nations General Assembly to halt settlement construction in the name of peace, a plea Netanyahu has so far resisted.

cparsons@latimes.com

paul.richter@latimes.com

Parsons reported from Jakarta and Richter from Washington. Times staff writer Edmund Sanders in Jerusalem contributed to this report.

View the original article here

Investigators see 'culture of complacency' behind gulf oil spill - Los Angeles Times

Chief counsel Fred Bartlit, standing, questions witnesses as Commission co-chairs William Reilly, left, and Bob Graham, commission members Elena Melchert, Fran Ulmer and Don Boesch listen during a hearing before the National Commission on the BP Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill and Offshore Drilling. (Alex Wong / Getty Images)

A stream of evidence shows that "a culture of complacency" rather than a "culture of safety" prevailed at BP, Transocean Ltd. and Halliburton as they worked on the ill-fated Deepwater Horizon drilling rig, according to the chairmen of the presidential commission investigating the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.

The panel's investigators uncovered "a suite of bad decisions," many still inexplicable, involving tests that were poorly run, alarming results that were ignored, proper equipment that was sidelined and safety barriers that were removed prematurely at the high-pressure well, said William K. Reilly, who is co-chairman of the commission with former Democratic Sen. Bob Graham of Florida.

"Each company is responsible for one or more egregiously bad decisions," said Reilly, who was an administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency under President George W. Bush.

Graham agreed. "Leaders did not take serious risks seriously enough and did not identify a risk that proved to be fatal," he said.

Their blunt assessments Tuesday came a day after the panel's chief counsel said he had found no evidence that BP and other workers "made a conscious decision" to cut corners on safety to save money.

"They didn't rule out cost, just said they weren't prepared to attribute mercenary motives to men who cannot speak for themselves because they are not alive," Reilly said of the panel's investigators and the 11 workers who were killed when the drilling rig exploded and sank on April 20. "But the story they told is ghastly: one bad call after another."

He said the story that has unfolded so far indicated the need for "top to bottom" reform of the companies.

Created by President Obama a month after the Deepwater Horizon explosion, the commission is investigating the disaster and developing recommendations for preventing oil spills and cleaning them up. Its final report is due in January and its recommendations could be the basis of new laws or regulations.

During Tuesday's hearing, panel investigators questioned industry experts who have studied decisions made on the Deepwater Horizon.

"I know that there was pressure on this group of people to get done and move on," said Steve Lewis, an advanced drilling technology engineer at Seldovia Marine Services, who said he had often worked with BP. "I have seen internal communication at senior BP management level inquiring whether this well would be done on time."

Testimony at other hearings has detailed the time and financial pressures BP faced while trying to finish at the well, which BP staff members had called a "nightmare." Drilling was six weeks behind schedule, costing BP at least $21 million in leasing fees alone.

When the explosion occurred, BP was temporarily plugging the well to defer oil and gas production and move the rig to another site. During questioning by panel lawyers, industry experts said BP made an "unusual number" of changes to the plan to plug the well in the week before the explosion. They also said that a crucial test to determine pressure in the well was improperly done.

Investigators said Monday that BP and Transocean staff members on the rig ran pressure tests on the well several times on the evening of April 20. A successful test would have shown no upward pressure, but the tests the team ran showed otherwise.

For reasons still not entirely clear, the team declared the test a success at 8 p.m. The rig exploded about two hours later.

nbanerjee@tribune.com

View the original article here

Democrats stump for Southland voters - Los Angeles Times

Trying to blunt a national tide of Republican enthusiasm, Democratic candidates rallied voters across Southern California on Sunday, arguing that GOP victories here would put the state in the hands of those who care only for the wealthy.

Jerry Brown, Kamala Harris and Gavin Newsom — Democratic nominees for governor, attorney general and lieutenant governor respectively — toured African American churches in the morning. Later, they and other Democrats, including U.S. Sen. Barbara Boxer, held a pep rally in Van Nuys.

"It's an important election," Brown told an audience at Greater Zion church in Compton. "It's an important election for … the whole Democratic Party. We're not perfect. We've got a lot of problems in this state, we've got a huge budget gap, but there's a lot of things we can do if we all pull together."

Without mentioning Republican opponent Meg Whitman by name, the attorney general repeatedly contrasted her voting record with the sacrifices made by African Americans to secure their right to vote.

"I'm running against somebody who almost never voted. And I've lived here all my life and I've voted in every election, and I've cared to make this beautiful state much better," Brown declared at City of Refuge church in Gardena. "We can't just be for the most powerful. We have to be for everybody."

A Los Angeles Times poll published Sunday showed Brown leading Whitman and Boxer running ahead of Republican nominee Carly Fiorina. Newsom, the San Francisco mayor, was slightly ahead of GOP nominee Abel Maldonado, and Harris, the San Francisco district attorney, was narrowly behind her Republican counterpart, Los Angeles Dist. Atty. Steve Cooley.

Democrats remain nervous that a Republican surge could swamp even the best-positioned candidates.

At the Van Nuys rally, Boxer took off after Fiorina's support for offshore oil drilling and her endorsement by former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin. She also dismissed Fiorina, the former head of Hewlett-Packard, as a failed executive who had outsourced American jobs.

"I'm not interested in creating jobs in India," said Boxer, a three-term incumbent. "I want to create them in Indio, Irvine and Inglewood."

Fiorina has insisted that layoffs and outsourcing while she was at H-P were necessary to keep the company afloat. She criticized Boxer this weekend as a has-been. On Nov. 2, she said, the nation would "look to California and say 'Wow.... The voters of California decided that 28 years of Barbara Boxer was enough.' "

Whitman had no public events on Sunday, but on Saturday she appealed to Asian American constituencies at stops in San Jose, Los Angeles' Koreatown and City of Industry.

"We have a choice between a career politician and a career problem solver," Whitman told several hundred supporters in Industry. "And do we have some problems that need to be solved, and I will solve them."

As she spoke to reporters after the event, Whitman recounted a Saturday Los Angeles Times article that showed city employees receiving substantial overtime while Brown was mayor of Oakland.

"What you saw was gross fiscal negligence," she said. "No one was home, no one was in charge, and this is the kind of fiscal mismanagement that we cannot stand in the state of California."

Brown on Sunday said the pay was required, and noted that Oakland's biggest employee union refused to endorse him for mayor.

"I think Whitman, because she hasn't been in government and doesn't vote, doesn't understand," Brown said.

Cathleen.decker@latimes.com

phil.willon@latimes.com

View the original article here

Can a 'liberal gene' determine political stance? Researchers say it's so - Los Angeles Times

Can a 'liberal gene' determine political stance? Researchers say it's so - latimes.com div.thumbnail span.credit { font-weight: normal !important;}div.article div.articlerail ul li.relatedTitle, div.storygallery div.storyGalleryRail ul li.relatedTitle { font-size: 12px !important;} Mobile Site Subscribe/Manage Account Print Ads Place an Ad LAT Store Jobs Cars Real Estate Rentals More Classifieds   Booster Shots HOME Breaking iPhone Apps Weather Traffic Obituaries Community Crosswords Breast Cancer Wine Club Local L.A. Now Politics Crime Education O.C. Westside Neighborhoods Environment Obituaries FindLocal U.S. Politics Now Top of the Ticket Science & Environment Obituaries Religion World Afghanistan & Pakistan Africa Asia Europe Iran Iraq Latin America Mexico Under Siege Middle East Business Money & Co. Technology Personal Finance Small Business Company Town Jobs Real Estate Cars Sports Lakers Clippers Dodgers Angels NFL Ducks/Kings USC UCLA Soccer High Schools Scores/Stats Entertainment Movies TV Music Celebrity Arts & Culture Company Town Calendar Envelope Books FindLocal Health Booster Shots Fitness & Nutrition Medicine Mental Health Healthcare Reform Breast Cancer Hospitals Living Home Food Image Books Parenting FindLocal Brand X Magazine Your Scene Cars Travel California Hawaii Mexico Las Vegas Europe Asia Australia Travel & Deal Blog Destinations Opinion Editorials Op-Ed Letters Endorsements Opinion L.A. More Corrections Readers' Rep Photos Video Blogs Data Desk Comics Puzzles & Games Community Mobile Site Subscribe/Manage Account Print Ads Place an Ad LAT Store Jobs Cars Real Estate Rentals More Classifieds Health Topics: Nutrition Labels HealthKey: Breast Cancer HealthKey: Health A-Z Childhood Obesity Parkinson's Disease BOOSTER SHOTS: Oddities, musings and news from the health world

Can a 'liberal gene' determine political stance? Researchers say it's so Share By Mary Forgione, For the Los Angeles Times October 28, 2010|1:51 p.m.

E-mail Print Text Size la-heb-liberal-gene-20101028 Now Fox political pundit Bill O’Reilly will have a new factor to consider in vetting his guests. Researchers say they have found a "liberal gene" that ties political ideology to something other than social factors.

The study published Thursday in the Journal of Politics comes from UC San Diego and Harvard University researchers who overlaid the presence of a dopamine receptor gene called DRD4 with the social networks of 2,000 people to examine the potential link.

Here's how a UC San Diego statement explains the study:

Get breaking news alerts delivered to your mobile phone. Text BREAKING to 52669.
"[Researchers] reported that 'it is the crucial interaction of two factors – the genetic predisposition and the environmental condition of having many friends in adolescence – that is associated with being more liberal.' The research team also showed that this held true independent of ethnicity, culture, sex or age." Click here to read the full story.

News media were quick to seize on the findings. "Don’t hold liberals responsible for their opinion – they can’t help themselves," a Fox news story begins. Hmmm, "fair and balanced" meets "truthiness."

So if political disposition can be part nurture and part nature, how does that account for red states and blue states? And are independents kind of genetics-lite?

Stay tuned. Lead researcher James H. Fowler, professor of political science and medical genetics at UC San Diego, says in the university's statement: "It is our hope that more scholars will begin to explore the potential interaction of biology and environment. ...The way forward is to look for replication in different populations and age groups." Copyright © 2010, Los Angeles Times

E-mail Print Digg Twitter Facebook Read This Later   Comments (1)Add / View comments | Discussion FAQ The Old Soul at 7:07 PM October 28, 2010

Sure...Liberalism can be determined by genetics...if that IS true. Then so can conservatism, and I'll happily be offensive here and say. Let's go with the side of the genetic coin that follows more than blind and stubborn values that are as obsolete as they are mindless. Saying there is a 'liberal gene' implies on some level that it's abnormal. What the hell? I don't know what they mean by 'liberal' that they've found a gene for it. Being pro choice and pro gay marriage and anti big business and for cheaper healthcare?

MAYBE just maybe, it's a gene for thinking for yourself. Nobody seems to question the conservative stance. As an example...what about the Teaparty?

I want to know what gene governs such an illogical and idiotic principal of electing officials who know absolutely nothing about politics and are divorced from reality. The inability to rationalize and face the reality of the world I feel is a far more scary genetic defect than 'liberalism'.

.box {border:2px solid #DDDDDD;font-size:14px;margin:15px 0;}.addPadding {padding:10px;} Breast Cancer Awareness: Resources, News Popular Topics: Wellness | Women | Men | Family | Fitness | Aging | Health Careers Health A-Z: Behavioral Health | Diabetes | Heart Health | Family | Nutrition | Plastic Surgery | Skin Cancer | See all Advertisement .promo_head {background-color:#ffffff; color:#000000; font-size:24px; line-height:1.4em; margin-bottom:-25px; left:-20px; padding-left:5px; padding-right:5px; position:relative; top:-30px; width:170px;}.fontsize11 { font-size:12px; margin-bottom:5px;}.paddown { padding-top:1px; }Stay Connected  @latimeshealth | @lanow | @latimesfeatures   Become a fan of L.A. Times Health »  Subscribe to The Health Report newsletter »  Health | Booster Shots blog | Science | More .link { font-size: 16px; padding-left: 10px; }About the WritersTami DennisMelissa HealyKaren KaplanThomas H. Maugh IIRosie MestelShari RoanJeannine Stein .link { font-size: 16px; padding-left: 10px; }.category { font-size: 14px; }All CategoriesAging Alternative Behavior Cancer Children Diabetes Diet & Weight Diseases Fitness Nutrition Healthcare Heart Disease Medicine Men's Health Mental Health Research Sex Women's Health Recent Posts Drug maker Sandoz recalls methotrexate injection vials over possible glass flakes Can a 'liberal gene' determine political stance? Researchers say it's so TV time limits for toddlers are ignored Irvine medical products company B. Braun recalls possibly tainted heparin Purell is making the world safe for handshakers Get the Health Report NewsletterThe latest weekly health updates and research.
See a sample | Sign up
Toilet Cleaner Than Kitchen? » An expert points to places where you'll find a lot of germs. This Week's Bestsellers » The Los Angeles Times bestseller list is based on a poll of more than 170 Southland bookstores. Horoscopes LATMG Media Kit Events About Us Site Map Contact Us | Help Coastline Pilot Daily Pilot Huntington Beach Independent Valley Sun Burbank Leader News Press KTLA Hoy Brand X LA, Los Angeles Times Magazine ZAP2it Baltimore Sun Chicago Tribune Daily Press Hartford Courant Los Angeles Times Orlando Sentinel Sun Sentinel The Morning Call

Terms of Service | Privacy Policy | Los Angeles Times, 202 West 1st Street, Los Angeles, California, 90012 | Copyright 2010

A Tribune Newspaper website DM_addEncToLoc("Site", (s.server));DM_addEncToLoc("channel", (s.channel));DM_addEncToLoc("keyword", (s.prop3));DM_cat(s.hier1);DM_tag();

View the original article here